In New York City, two trial courts split criminal cases:

• Criminal Court of the City of New York holds every arraignment. It also tries misdemeanors and violations, the lower-level charges with jail terms of a year or less.
• Supreme Court, Criminal Term takes felonies once a grand jury indicts. A felony can bring state prison.

So every case starts in Criminal Court, even a felony. Teen cases go to the Youth Part of Supreme Court or to Family Court. A federal charge is heard in U.S. District Court instead.

Brooklyn. Criminal Court sits at 120 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 347-404-9400, with arraignments daily 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Felonies go to Supreme Court at 320 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 347-296-1076. Family Court is at 330 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 347-401-9610.

The Bronx. Criminal Court is at 215 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451; call 718-618-2460 for the clerk. Arraignments run daily 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. The Hall of Justice, 265 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451, 718-618-3100, holds Supreme Court. Family Court is at 900 Sheridan Avenue, Bronx, NY 10451, 718-618-2098.

Queens. Criminal Court and Supreme Court share 125-01 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens, NY 11415. The Criminal Court clerk is 718-298-0792, and the Supreme Court Record Room is 718-298-1400. Arraignments end at 11 p.m. each night. Family Court is at 151-20 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432, 718-298-0197.

Staten Island. Both criminal courts use 26 Central Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301. Criminal Court is 718-675-8558, and the Supreme Court Criminal Term Office in Room 240 is 718-675-8760. Arraignments run weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Family Court is at 100 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301, 718-675-8800.

Manhattan. Criminal Court is at 100 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013, 646-386-4511, with arraignments daily 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Supreme Court uses 100 Centre Street and 111 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013; the Central Clerk is 646-386-4000. Family Court is at 60 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013, 646-386-5223.

No. The Department of Correction runs a group of jails, and a person can be moved between them as needs change:

• Eric M. Taylor Center, 10-10 Hazen Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370: the intake building for all newly arrived men, which also keeps mental observation units.
• George R. Vierno Center, 09-09 Hazen Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370: men before and after sentencing. It has mental observation units and PACE, which treats serious mental illness.
• Otis Bantum Correctional Center, 16-00 Hazen Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370: dorms and cells for men, plus a Special Management Unit.
• Robert N. Davoren Complex, 11-11 Hazen Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370: men and young men from 18 through 21.
• Rose M. Singer Center, 19-19 Hazen Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370: the women's jail, where women are first processed. Its Special Considerations Unit is for non-binary, intersex, transgender and gender non-conforming people.
• RESH, sharing the Rose M. Singer site: restrictive housing for men who broke jail rules, with a separate intake, clinic and visiting room.
• WF itself: single cells, with one section kept for the Communicable Disease Unit.
• Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward, 462 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10016, and Elmhurst Hospital Prison Ward, 79-01 Broadway, Queens, NY 11370: secure hospital floors for people sick enough to be admitted.
• Bellevue Outposted Therapeutic Housing Unit, 462 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10016: a 104-bed unit that opened in April 2026 for complex medical needs short of a hospital stay.
• ACS youth centers for those under 18: Crossroads Juvenile Center, 17 Bristol Street, Brooklyn, NY 11212, and Horizon Juvenile Center, 560 Brook Avenue, Bronx, NY 10455.

DOC buses people from each of these jails to court on their dates. DOC's April 2025 numbers show 98.9% of people due in court got there.

Yes. These branches handle some cases outside the main courthouses or add treatment to the case:

• Midtown Community Justice Center, 314 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019. The clerk answers case and date questions at 646-264-1330.
• Red Hook Community Justice Center, 88-94 Visitation Place, Brooklyn, NY 11231, 718-923-8200.
• Manhattan treatment courts, 111 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013, 646-386-4626.
• Bronx treatment courts in the Hall of Justice, 265 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451, 718-618-3172.
• Queens felony treatment courts, 125-01 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens, NY 11415, 718-298-1303.
• Staten Island Treatment Court, 26 Central Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301, 718-675-8530.
• Brooklyn Treatment Court, 320 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 347-296-1133.

In drug court, a person whose addiction is part of the crime can agree to court-watched treatment (CPL Article 216 covers some felonies). Ask the defense lawyer whether the case fits.

Arraignment is the opening court hearing, normally within roughly a day of the arrest. Four things happen there:

1. A defense lawyer is assigned if the person cannot pay for one.
2. The judge reads out the charges and explains the person's rights.
3. The person enters a plea, usually not guilty.
4. The judge picks among release, release with conditions, bail or remand.

This is the moment to speak up about health. The lawyer can tell the judge about a long-term illness, needed medicine or a recent hospital stay. Pass those facts to the lawyer before the case is called. If the person is held, Correctional Health Services screens them again at Rikers intake. That screening is how some people end up in medical housing at WF.

Before that hearing, the person waits at the NYPD's central booking in the borough of arrest. Legal Aid lists one in each borough's criminal courthouse:

1. Queens Central Booking: 125-01 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens, NY 11415, 718-268-4523
2. Manhattan Central Booking: 100 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013, 212-347-2801
3. Bronx Central Booking: 215 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451, 718-618-2400 (also the Bronx Criminal Court's number for arraignment questions)
4. Staten Island Central Booking: inside the Staten Island Criminal Court, 26 Central Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10301, 718-876-8493
5. Brooklyn Central Booking: 120 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 718-875-6319

Most people arrive within about 4 to 6 hours of the arrest. Visits are not allowed there. A call to the right site gets you the arrest number. Then phone that borough's Criminal Court, share the number, and ask what time the case will be called and in which courtroom.

Petit larceny (shoplifting), third-degree assault, trespass and many drug cases stay in Criminal Court. Maximum punishments come from Penal Law § 70.15 and § 80.05:

• Class A misdemeanor: no more than 364 days locked up, and a fine that can reach $1,000.
• Class B misdemeanor: a ceiling of three months, and $500 is the biggest fine.
• Violation, such as disorderly conduct: 15 days or less, with fines capped at $250.

After arraignment, the case comes back on dates for evidence sharing, motions and plea offers. On a class A charge, the DA gets 90 days to announce readiness for trial (CPL 30.30). If your loved one is jailed on that charge and the DA misses a 30-day mark, release must follow. Lots of misdemeanor cases close with probation, a conditional discharge or a dismissal rather than jail time.

Every felony begins as a complaint filed in Criminal Court. Next steps, in order:

1. Five-day clock (CPL 180.80): a jailed person must be let go after 120 hours. Add a day, to 144 hours, if a weekend or holiday lands in between. The rule bites only if no grand jury vote or hearing has happened by then.
2. Your loved one has the right to give their own side to the grand jury, with written notice (CPL 190.50(5)).
3. An indictment sends the case up to Supreme Court.
4. Evidence sharing (CPL 245.10): the DA must turn over proof in 20 calendar days if your loved one is jailed, or 35 if out.
5. Trial readiness: half a year from the start (CPL 30.30).

Penal Law § 70.00 sets the top prison term by class. For E it is four years; D, seven; C, fifteen; B, twenty-five. Class A felonies can bring life.

Penal Law § 70.02 lists violent felonies. They carry fixed (determinate) sentences followed by post-release supervision. Robbery in the first degree, a class B, brings 5 to 25 years. Second-degree assault, a class D, brings 2 to 7. A violent class C carries 3.5 to 15, and a violent class E carries 1.5 to 4.

Because these charges sit on the qualifying list, a judge may set bail or remand (CPL 510.10(4)). That raises the odds of a long stay in DOC custody before trial. So does a charge accusing someone of causing a death. If health slips while your loved one waits, push the lawyer to seek a bail review soon.

Each borough has its own district attorney and defender offices.

Brooklyn: DA at 350 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, Action Center 718-250-2340. Defense: Legal Aid, 111 Livingston Street, 9th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 718-237-2000, and Brooklyn Defender Services, 177 Livingston Street, 7th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 718-254-0700.

Manhattan: the DA's main office is One Hogan Place (New York, NY 10013), 212-335-9000. Defense: Legal Aid, 49 Thomas Street, New York, NY 10013, 212-732-5000; New York County Defender Services (offices: 20th Floor, 100 William Street, New York, NY 10038), 212-803-5100; Neighborhood Defender Service, 317 Lenox Avenue, New York, NY 10027, 212-876-5500.

Queens: DA at 125-01 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens, NY 11415, 718-286-6000. Defense: Legal Aid, 120-46 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens, NY 11415, 718-286-2000, and Queens Defenders, 118-21 Queens Boulevard, Suite 212, Forest Hills, NY 11375, 844-783-3673.

Staten Island: DA at 130 Stuyvesant Place, Staten Island, NY 10301, 718-876-6300. Defense: Legal Aid, 60 Bay Street, Staten Island, NY 10301, 347-422-5333.

The Bronx: DA at 198 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451, 718-590-2000. Defense: Legal Aid, 260 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451, 718-579-3000, and The Bronx Defenders, 360 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451, 718-838-7878.

Conflict cases go to the Assigned Counsel Plan, 253 Broadway, Room 200, New York, NY 10007, 212-676-0066. Being in jail counts as proof that your loved one can get a free lawyer.

Use any of these:

• WebCrims searches all five boroughs' criminal courts at once. Type a name; two letters each of the first and last name is the minimum. It shows only open cases with a coming date.
• The Person in Custody Lookup shows the next court date and place for anyone in DOC custody. The docket's letters name the borough: KN Brooklyn, BX the Bronx, QN Queens, RI Staten Island and NY Manhattan.
• The Criminal Court Information Line, 646-386-4900, answers weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed cases? Ring the clerk's office where the case was heard.

NYPD officers serve warrants in the city. Check the NYPD Wanted page, the State Police wanted list, the FBI wanted list, plus the federal Marshals Service's 15 Most Wanted page. To ask about one person, phone the Criminal Court Information Line at 646-386-4900, or search WebCrims. Warrants never expire. Only going before a judge in the issuing court clears one, ideally with a lawyer. A person can also surrender at any NYPD precinct. The courthouse list earlier on this page gives each borough's address.

Federal charges skip the city courts. The Southern District takes Manhattan and Bronx cases at 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007, Clerk 212-805-0136. The Eastern District, for Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, is at 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, NY 11201, 718-613-2600.

At the first federal hearing, the charges are explained, and a lawyer is named if your loved one cannot pay. A detention hearing follows right away, with short delays allowed (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)). The judge weighs proof, record, the charge itself and any risk to others (18 U.S.C. 3142(g)). Federal Defenders of New York serve both courts: 52 Duane Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10007, 212-417-8700. Until trial, a federal defendant who is held stays under U.S. Marshals control, often at MDC Brooklyn. After sentencing, search the BOP inmate locator.

The state case keeps going whether or not ICE files a detainer. It only matters when the person would be released. The detainer comes on Form I-247A, which asks DOC to keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)). If ICE then takes custody, search the ICE Online Detainee Locator. ICE's New York City Field Office takes calls at 212-436-9315; its address is 26 Federal Plaza, 9th Floor, Suite 9-110, New York, NY 10278.

State law limits this. Local officers lack power to make civil immigration arrests (People ex rel. Wells v. DeMarco, 2018). Civil arrests at or near a courthouse need a judicial warrant or order (Civil Rights Law § 28). 287(g) deals ended August 25, 2026 (Executive Law § 170-k). The city's detainer laws, Administrative Code § 9-131, narrow when DOC may help immigration agents. Per Local Laws 58 and 59 (2014), help is allowed only for listed violent or serious convictions, or when a name may match a terrorist database. Also, Local Law 228 (2017) bars using city staff and property for immigration work. Since a guilty plea may shift someone's immigration standing, share status facts with defense counsel right away.

Time of one year or under is usually served in a city jail run by DOC. A longer felony sentence goes to state prison. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision starts with a reception center, where staff classify the person and choose a prison. Search the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup by DIN or name. For details on any one prison, use our New York state prisons page.

Since Raise the Age took effect, adult jails no longer hold 16- or 17-year-olds. Probation intake gets a teen's misdemeanor first. A teen's felony opens in Supreme Court's Youth Part; many non-violent felonies are moved to Family Court in 30 days or less (CPL 722.23). Children under 16 who are charged as delinquents go to Family Court, which has no bail. Youth who are held stay at Crossroads, 17 Bristol Street, Brooklyn, NY 11212, 718-240-3800, or Horizon, 560 Brook Avenue, Bronx, NY 10455, 718-292-0065.

The state Office of Victim Services may cover funeral costs, counseling or medical bills tied to a crime. Reach it at 800-247-8035. Victims can sign up for VINE, 888-846-3469, to hear when a person leaves DOC custody. If a household member was hurt or threatened, ask the DA about a temporary order of protection; judges can sign one at arraignment (CPL 530.12). Each DA's office helps too. For example, Queens runs a victim hotline at 718-286-6812, and the Bronx Crime Victims Assistance Bureau is at 718-590-2115.